Introduction
Performance enhancement in sports has been a controversial topic over the years. Specifically, sports organizations prefer the utilization of performance enhancement drugs to enhance their efficiency in the sporting activities while other humanitarian and government organizations raise concerns over the negative impacts of these drugs. As such, this paper discusses the negative impacts associated with performance enhancement drugs to the human body and the ethical concerns that emerge from this approach. In many instances, PEDs have been reported to enforce significant resiliency among the users and this is an advantage to sportsmen due to the enhancement of biological functions such as respiration and minimal fatigue (Mayo Clinic n,p). However, the usage of these drugs exposes one to a broader spectrum of medical challenges emerging from this issue.
The immediate solution should be based on the elimination of these drugs from sporting activities. In fact, governments and sports organizations need to enforce influential provisions to oversee the body enhancement through natural methods for long-term efficiency and body health. The scientific issue in based on the fact that performance enhancement drugs augment the body functioning by improving respiration and resiliency while minimizing the overall fatigue (USADA n.p). In spite of the constructive impacts to the development of one’s health, the side effects posed by the drugs have led to the current controversies about the usage of performance enhancers in the sporting activities. Ethical issues such as the lack of fair competition in sports and the partial truth told by the manufacturers about the negative effects of these drugs compromise their effectiveness (Hsu et al. 112). Nonetheless, since there are no laws banning the utilization of these drugs in training, the unethical concerns raised due to unfair competition can be disputed since all sportsmen have unrestricted access to the drugs. Additionally, the fact that these drugs foster the realization of one’s potential creates an ethical dilemma about their utilization. However, proper regulations need to be enforced to oversee the utilization of performance enhancers in sporting activities.
Interested parties and their responsibilities
The seizure of doping in sports has been a major concern for multiple organizations in the United States. For instance, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has been in the front line to minimize the cases of performance enhancement in major sports events. As such the regulation of body fitness is done before and after the performance in sporting activities to ensure fair participation. Some of these events include the popular Olympics, ParaPan America and Pan-American sports (Liu, Wasim and Frank 2119). The role of this organization is to ensure that doping is not done during the training process and in the event. Simply, the organization’s goal is to eliminate the utilization of performance enhancement drugs (PEDs) and to encourage natural body and physique building techniques. It hosts popular events such as the international Convention against Doping in Sports to minimize these cases and to enhance fair sporting activities. Additionally, this organization continually participates in enlightenment activities to augment awareness of sportsmen about the side effects of the long-term consumption of this drug.
International organizations equally play an immense role in the minimization of doping instances. For instance, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization enhance people’s knowledge about the impact of performance enhancement to their health. In 2012, the WHO participated in campaigns aimed at pointing out the drawbacks of using performance enhancers (Hsu et al. 123). Some of the issues raised included male pattern baldness, acne, premature closure of the growth of bones and stunted growth among teenagers. Through these campaigns, the world health organization highlighted the need to disembark from the utilization of drugs in performance enhancement. On the other hand, UNESCO has been a forerunner in the creation of a fairness culture in sporting activities through the elimination of doping activities. These organizations roles are encompassed around the elimination of sporting malpractices by promoting inequality. Therefore, international organizations have played an immense role in the elimination of doping within sporting activities.
In addition to the abovementioned organizations, it is worth mentioning that sports institutions in the United States have also been in the frontline to eliminate the doping in sporting activities. For instance, the Underwater Society of America and Upward Sports have ensured the involvement in performance enhancement has been minimized within their sporting field. For instance, swimming competitions have been closely monitored to minimize the instances of performance enhancement during the sporting activities (Berry et al. 1622). As such, their role is ensuring fair play in the sporting activities by minimizing instances of unfair performance enhancement. Additionally, they assess the quality of one’s medical records to ascertain the medication used in the betterment of their health does not conflict with the unacceptable performance enhancement drugs. Consequently, these organizations ensure the quality of sporting activities is maintained through the elimination of doping activities.
Consequences of various actions
The implementation of the above-proposed initiatives is bound to evoke some concerns. For instance, the harm done by the utilization of performance enhancement drugs would be reduced through the introduction of laws against these drugs. The legalization of these provisions would create some sense of responsibility among sportsmen, as they would feel obliged to protect their reputation and that of the team they work for. Additionally, fewer people would be harmed since the athletes would feel compelled to meet the expectations of their families. According to Berry et al. (1623), emotional responsibility enhances the betterment of an individual’s perspective as opposed to civic laws. As such, enlightening the athletes on their responsibilities to their nations and teams and well, as their family members would enhance their commitment towards the realization of a better sporting environment. Governmental intervention would ensure lesser harm is done on the sportsmen and their families due to the minimization of the negative impacts incurred through the consumption of performance enhancement drugs.
If the government choses not to make the regulations on performance enhancement legal, more coercion towards the utilization of this drug would be experienced. Precisely, people would feel compelled to use this drug to make their sporting career better. The heightened levels of competition that would be experienced among the athletes would lead them into utilizing these drugs to keep up with the race. More people would resolve to use performance enhancers to elevate their competitive effectiveness as opposed to their counterparts. On the other hand, selective restrictions would result in fewer casualties due to the abuse of these drugs. (Science n.p) This situation is largely accredited to the fact that the legal system would frighten some individuals who are uncertain about using the drug. Additionally, the ethical issues associated with the consumption of performance enhancers would deter many individuals from consuming these drugs.
The implementation of regulatory laws concerning the utilization of performance enhancers in sporting activities would lead to the maintenance of fairness in sporting activities. According to Science (n.p), the utilization of performance enhancers leads to unfair practice due to the heightened levels of stamina and resilience. As such, individuals who use artificial methods to boost their energy during the sporting activities lead to the promotion of unethical characters in any form of practice. Owing to the fact that there ought to be some form of equality during the participation to promote accurate assessment, this issue compromises the credibility of the performance due to inequality. As a result, the implementation of regulatory laws would eliminate the possibilities of condoning unfair sporting practice due to the elimination of unethical competitive behaviors. Consequently, the government, sports organizations and international institutions need to castigate the utilization of performance enhancers to promote fairness in athletic activities.
Enlightening the sportsmen on the side effects of utilizing performance enhancers would remedy the current situation up to a commendable level. Owing to the fact that most athletes use these drugs to make their performances better, informing them of the long-term impacts of their actions would change their perspectives. According to USADA (n.p), a large section of athletes are ignorant of the medical implications their long-term consumption of this drug results in. As such, this situation makes it challenging for them to assess their health welfare before their sports career. Consequently, the implication of this action would yield constructive results since the patients would be in a better position to deal with these issues.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the regulation of performance enhancement is essential to the maintenance of proper healthcare among athletes. Specifically, there are multiple negative effects resulting from abusing these drugs some of which include liver damage that could result from the utilization of these drugs. In worst-case scenarios, it leads to stunted growth and disruption of puberty among the early adopters. The government, private institutions and international organizations should take appropriate initiatives to facilitate the enforcement of regulatory laws. Through the implementation of these laws, the promotion of fair practice would be enhanced since all participants would be at a similar competitive level. This provision is largely attributed to the fact that everyone taking part in the sporting activities would have an almost similar performance level due to the natural body building interventions made. As such, unethical competition would be eliminated in the sporting events due to the elimination of performance enhancers during the events.
Additionally, the medical safety of the athletes would be ensured and this situation would greatly benefit their teams and family members. This situation would emerge since the athletes would feel compelled to keep up their team and family expectations. As such, the implementation of regulatory measures is bound to have a constructive impact on the elimination of the negative impacts caused by performance enhancers. The creation of enlightenment campaigns to augment people’s knowledge would play an immense role in the neutralization of this problem. Consequently, there is a need to implement proper initiatives in dealing with performance enhancers as lack thereof compromises the health of the users. Proper regulations need to be enforced to oversee the utilization of performance enhancers in sporting activities.
Works Cited
Berry, C. W., et al. "Significant performance enhancement in photoconductive terahertz optoelectronics by incorporating plasmonic contact electrodes." Nature communications 4 (2013): 1622.
Hsu, Po-Chun, et al. "Performance enhancement of metal nanowire transparent conducting electrodes by mesoscale metal wires." Nature communications 4 (2013).
Liu, Ming, Wasim Saman, and Frank Bruno. "Review on storage materials and thermal performance enhancement techniques for high temperature phase change thermal storage systems." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 16.4 (2012): 2118-2132.
Mayo Clinic,. "Mayo Clinic Medical Information And Tools For Healthy Living - Mayoclinic.Com". Store.mayoclinic.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 4 May 2016.
Science. "10 Performance-Enhancing Drugs That Aren't Steroids". Science HowStuffWorks. N.p., 2012. Web. 4 May 2016.
USADA,. "Effects Of Performance-Enhancing Drugs | USADA". U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). N.p., 2016. Web. 4 May 2016.
